Support for EU membership, currency change gains ground in Iceland

Helsinki, Jan 10 A new poll shows that 58 per cent of Icelanders support holding a referendum on whether the country should resume negotiations for European Union (EU) membership.

The survey, conducted by the Icelandic opinion research firm Prosent, also revealed that 53 per cent of respondents favor replacing Iceland's currency, the krona, with a new currency, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Icelandic broadcaster RUV.

The proposal for a referendum is part of the agenda of Iceland's newly formed left-leaning coalition government, which took office in December 2024 and plans to hold the vote by 2027 at the latest.

While the idea of reopening EU membership talks has gained traction, outright support for joining the EU does not currently hold a majority. According to the poll, 45 per cent of respondents favor EU membership, 35 per cent are opposed, and 20 per cent remain undecided.

However, the poll indicates growing interest in debating the issue. A majority, 58 per cent, support holding a referendum to revisit EU membership talks, while 27 per cent oppose the idea, and 15 per cent are undecided.

Iceland initially applied for EU membership in 2009, but negotiations were suspended in 2013 and have not been resumed since. The question of whether to revisit these talks has remained a recurring topic in Icelandic politics.

In addition to the EU debate, Iceland's new government has announced plans to examine the future of the krona. Independent foreign experts will be commissioned to assess the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining the national currency and explore alternatives.

The Prosent poll shows that 53 per cent of Icelanders support adopting a new currency, while 27 per cent are opposed, and 20 per cent are undecided. Support for a new currency overlaps significantly with pro-EU sentiment, 86 per cent of those in favor of EU membership also favoring replacing the krona, according to the survey results.

The Prosent survey was conducted between December 17 and December 31, 2024, with a sample size of 5,000 and a response rate of 50 per cent.

Source: IANS